Human Target

TEASER:

OVER BLACK:

A man’s voice. Nervous. Raspy. A little out of breath...

RASPY VOICE (V.O.)

Blending in... You have no idea what

it’s like, always blending in... You

forget who you are. Eventually, you

start to forget who you ever were...

...then, BLINDING LIGHT, and we’re in-

INT. DINGY OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

A large office bullpen, awash in stark daylight. But there’s

nobody here. The desks are all empty. The place is dead-

RASPY VOICE (O.S.)

They push you and push you further into

the margins. Treat you like dirt, take

away your manhood. Make you small...

--except for the DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES face down on the ground,

some crying, all panicked. We’re in a hostage situation...

RASPY VOICE (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Somebody had to do something about it.

One hostage is separated from the crowd; in a chair, a BLACK

HOOD covering his face, his wrists and ankles taped down. If

we’re paying attention, we’ll see he’s wearing BROWN LOAFERS.

And as we keep pushing into the office, we finally find the

source of the voice. A GUNMAN, on the phone with-

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

A NEGOTIATOR, among a heavy perimeter of cop cars-

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

I hear you, Hollis, I really do. He used

you. Took advantage of all your work, and

then cut you loose. It’s a terrible thing-

WE HEAR A COMMOTION OVER THE PHONE, before the line goes

dead. Off the Negotiator, concerned-

CUT TO:

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 2.

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - SIMULTANEOUS

The Gunman (HOLLIS) is now amidst the hostages, RIFLE RAISED-

HOLLIS:

What was that?! I heard that!!!

We now see that he’s wearing a VEST WIRED FULL OF EXPLOSIVES.

He points his rifle at a WOMAN on the ground-

HOLLIS (CONT’D)

All I want is Lydecker don’t make me hurt

the rest of you!!

The Woman is crying. Hollis’s nerves are totally frayed.

This whole thing is going south, fast...

As Hollis paces nervously, we see a photo on the wall: KEN

LYDECKER, the man in the hood. In the photo, he’s smiling.

A PHONE RINGS in the hostage area. Hollis picks up.

NEGOTIATOR (FROM PHONE)

Hollis? Hollis, are you there?

Hollis doesn’t know how to respond, stays silent...

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

Alright, listen; I’ve got people to

answer to, and if they think those

hostages are in imminent danger, they’re

gonna start kicking in doors.

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)

You won’t. You know I’ll blow the office.

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

I know that, but at a certain point it

isn’t gonna be up to me anymore. Now

since I don’t think either of us want to

go down that road just yet, help me buy

some time. Send out the employees...

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)

No... No that won’t work...

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

Lemme finish. The deal is, I get the

bystanders, and you keep Ken Lydecker.

He’s the only one you really want anyway.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 3.

CONTINUED:

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)

You’ll still have leverage, and I’ll have

something to show my bosses. And we all

get to live a little while longer...

ON HOLLIS, sweaty. He doesn’t know what to do. But he

watches the Woman Hostage crying on the floor, and a moment

of humanity hits him... Off Hollis-

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - MINUTES LATER

We see a line of HOSTAGES filing out of the building. The

cops receive them, offer medical assistance, etc.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

Hollis is left alone, pacing. We move past the seated Hooded

Man. If we’re paying attention, we’ll notice that HIS SHOES

ARE NOW BLACK BOOTS. And his ankles are no longer taped to

the chair... As Hollis paces nervously-

HOODED MAN:

Hey... Buddy. Are we alone yet?

HOLLIS:

Shut up, I’m...

Hollis stops pacing. That was not the voice he expected to

hear coming out of that hood. What the f***...?

HOODED MAN:

Hello?

(no response)

Alright, that sounds like a ‘yes.’

The Hooded Man (whose hands are apparently free too) peels

off his hood. This is CHRISTOPHER CHANCE (39). Rugged and

rumpled, like he’s living in some permanent hangover state.

Hollis jerks up his rifle, freaked.

HOLLIS:

Where’s Lydecker?

HOODED MAN (CHANCE)

Give it a minute, you’ll figure it out.

Off Hollis, we-

CUT TO:

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 4.

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

Among the hostages being attended to, we spot KEN LYDECKER.

Bloodied, but safe, free and reunited with his family.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

Hollis is both furious and terrified. He unsafeties his

rifle, shoulders it. Then, a moment of recognition-

HOLLIS:

I’ve seen you. You’ve been around

here... You’re the auditor...

CHANCE:

Sure. Listen, a word of advice? Never

make threats. You wanna do something,

don’t talk about it. Just do it.

HOLLIS:

What?

CHANCE:

You’ve been sending Lydecker threats for

weeks. It got his guard up. Got him

planning. And now look where you are...

(then)

Threats just make things messier. No

threats. Just action.

HOLLIS:

(beat)

You just committed suicide for that snake--

that rat... Do you realize that?

CHANCE:

Okay, first, I don’t think you can be

both of those things at the same time.

Second, you’re a salesman. You got

fired. Let’s not do this like he had you

working the chain gang.

HOLLIS:

He took away eight years of my life!

Left me with nothing. No severance. No

savings. He broke me. And he deserves

to die for it.

CHANCE:

No he doesn’t.

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 5.

CONTINUED:

HOLLIS:

Yes he-

CHANCE:

No, he really doesn’t. Nobody deserves

to die, Hollis. Frankly, after seeing

your behavior today, I think Ken Lydecker

deserves a medal for putting up with you

as long as he did.

(beat)

Now there aren’t too many good outcomes

for you here. But they all start with

you giving up that gun...

HOLLIS:

I came in here ready to kill him, what

makes you think I won’t kill you?

Chance sizes him up. And then starts walking towards him...

CHANCE:

Because I see the rifle, but I don’t see

a guy who’s gonna use it.

HOLLIS:

Are you crazy? I said stop!

CHANCE:

Am I crazy?

Chance walks right up to him, inches from the rifle muzzle.

CHANCE (CONT’D)

I assume that was a rhetorical question.

A tense beat, as they stare each other down. Before Hollis

can speak, CHANCE LASHES OUT, pushing the rifle aside, and

striking at Hollis in the same move. The GUN FIRES, but

Chance is well clear of it.

Hollis tries to fight back, but he’s severely outmatched.

Chance is no street fighter; every move is graceful. This is

a guy who has spent a lot of time studying martial arts.

The rifle skitters across a desk and onto the floor, and

Chance goes after it. As he does, Hollis frantically

connects some wires from his vest to a DEAD-MAN’S SWITCH.

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